CHAPTER 716: CHAPTER 711: THE SPIRIT OF LIGHT

Behind the blue stone lay a descending passage.

At the entrance, two stern-faced Casters could be seen guarding the spot.

When the elder came over with Ronald and the others.

One of them immediately bowed and said,

"Elder, are all of you planning to go down?"

The elder quickly shifted his gaze to Ronald.

Ronald immediately understood the other party’s intention and thus turned his head to instruct,

"Il, you stay up here with Helle, and remember not to cause any trouble."

The artifact hidden by the Sorato Sect below had to be extremely important.

It was one thing for the two members of the Alder family, Ronald and Costate, to go down in such circumstances, but Il and Helle were clearly not suitable candidates, given their dubious origins.

After ensuring that the two wouldn’t run amok and cause trouble,

Ronald and the others continued to follow the elder underground.

Along the way, the elder introduced the place to them:

"This is the Blue Secret Altar, a sacrificial site that our Sorato Sect discovered and developed a long time ago. It’s opened only when someone undergoes the canonical trials. As Casters not belonging to our sect, you two are rare visitors to be here..."

The elderly man led the way with explanations, while Ronald observed for himself.

The structure here was somewhat unique.

Passing through the blue stone tunnel’s entrance and continuing downward, Ronald noticed that the surrounding walls didn’t transition from stone to soil.

In other words—

The blue stone above was actually part of a massive rock that protruded from the surface, which the Sorato Sect had discovered in the forest and then excavated to form the current entire Blue Secret Altar.

A sacred altar hewn entirely from a single rock.

Indeed, a rather unique architectural feat.

The journey downward within the tunnel wasn’t too far, merely a few turns, and the view before Ronald suddenly opened up.

This massive rock buried beneath the earth’s surface,

had been hollowed out by the people of the Sorato Sect into a colossal space.

On a circular plaza large enough to comfortably accommodate hundreds of people, a cross-shaped high platform protruding throughout stood prominently, with the end of the tunnel that Ronald and the others had descended from directly connected to one end of the cross platform.

Walking to the center where the cross intersected led to a small platform with a full view of the entire space, an absolute center that would be the focus of all present.

And walking to the sides allowed descent via stairs onto the circular plaza.

However, this was nearly impossible.

The plaza, which ought to have been empty, was filled with a layer of blue ethereal substance that from afar resembled mist; but upon closer inspection, it seemed to belong to a colloidal form.

"Mr. Ronald, we’re going over there."

At this point, the leading elder spoke up.

Following in the direction he pointed, Ronald saw a figure at the far end of the cross platform’s left branch, glowing with a white light, with a silhouette different from that of humans but still assuming a prayer gesture with hands together.

And before this glowing figure,

another old man dressed almost identically to the leading elder, was standing there waiting.

"..."

"Understood, let’s go."

With a simple response to the leading Caster, Ronald and Costate walked toward the figure along the high cross platform.

As Ronald passed the center of the cross, he took note of something.

On the side of the small platform stood a black stone slab, inscribed with numerous names and annotated as the list of Casters who had died during the canonical trials.

"..."

Moving on, when they were still a few meters apart.

The elder who had been waiting spoke up:

"This must be the Adler of this generation?"

The guiding elder replied:

"Correct, they have come to address the problem in Yizi Forest. After weighing the pros and cons, I decided to bring them here."

The waiting elder fell silent for a few seconds.

"I see..."

"Then I’ll do the introductions."

As he spoke, the elder stepped aside to reveal a white figure behind him, and Ronald immediately saw what it looked like.

This was a creature with limbs and a torso.

But where the head should be, there were no eyes, mouth, or any other recognizable features.

To give an example.

It was like a newly carved doll that had yet to have its facial details finished.

"This is Or."

"Our school summoned the Light Spirit Oer quite early on, and it has been overseeing the Trial of the Originals at the Blue Secret Altar for safety."

"However, after the problem arose in the forest, Lord Oer was the first to detect this change and realized the crisis it posed. Since then, Lord Oer has connected his body to the earth and started to control some of the minute, unseen beings of the forest here."

With that, the elder pointed to the circular plaza below.

The faint blue substance that permeated the area was evidently the result of Oer’s efforts.

Ronald looked at the Light Spirit before him and then at the expanse of blue below.

He understood the elder’s previous hesitation and asked:

"I understand the situation."

"So how will Lord Oer assist me?"

"Lord Oer possesses such power." One of the elders began to answer and then walked closer to the Light Spirit, releasing his Magic Power to awaken the being.

Swish—

A bright white light suddenly radiated from the Light Spirit.

What followed was unexpected.

After being awakened, the summoned creature named Oer didn’t even acknowledge the two elders but addressed Ronald and his companion first:

"It’s been a long time, Miss Costate— as well as the great Caster of Adler."

"I already know the purpose of your visit."

Ronald immediately looked towards the maid beside him:

"Do you know each other?"

Costate answered meticulously:

"At the end of the Dark Age, I had seen this creature when following the first combatants. My ability to read memories, in fact, comes from it."

"Miss Costate’s capacity to learn is quite extraordinary." As if to confirm Costate’s words, Light Spirit Oer immediately followed up, "The Spell of memory-reading that I have, I actually attempted to teach it, but only Miss Costate could complete the initial learning."

Ronald caught on to a phrase:

"Initial learning?"

"Correct, the initial learning," Oer continued, "To delve deeper into that area requires our unique Light Spirit physique to utilize, and no other species has the possibility to mimic it."

Ronald immediately understood everything:

"So you can read the memories of the lives in the forest to help us find our target?"

Light Spirit Oer went on:

"I have collected these small lives, which cover the entirety of Yizi Forest, but even I cannot extract information from the vast ocean of their memories."

"If you wish to search for a life..."

"Then you must first provide some relevant information."